Approval
by Queencloud2443
Summary: A visit to the Uchiha Kingdom for a party has landed Sakura into the running for the title of future queen to the crowned prince.
1. Chapter 1

"Itachi you are twenty six years old and the council are pushing for your marriage and I can no longer deny their request." The uninterested expression on his eldest sons face only frustrated Fugaku. He slammed his fist onto the table that separated them. "You cannot ignore this son!"

"I see no reason for any kind of union father." Itachi turned his gaze to the older Uchiha. "I can rule our people without the need of a woman."

"Be as that may, the title of crowned princess and future queen is not an empty role Itachi. Your claim on the throne is weakened and I will not accept my brothers insane son as the future king of the land."

Itachi held back a smile at the mention of his 'insane' cousin. Shisui hated the idea of being in charge of anything so much, he acted as the fool so no one in their right minds would offer him any position of power.

He said nothing to his father though, but he also knew there was no other choice in the matter. His mother had convinced his father that marriage was not necessary for the past five years, so he could no longer rely on his mother. Oh well, perhaps he could delay the process for as long as possible.

He nodded at Fugaku. "If that is what the council demands then I accept father."

Fugaku stared at him, wondering for a second if he had heard wrong. Did his son just say yes? He was expecting this to continue for a good hour or so before his eldest gave in.

"I'm sure you and mother have a list of eligible women you wish to introduce me to." Fugaku nodded, of course they did. Mikoto had started compiling a list about three years ago. "Then tomorrow we can begin."

**One Month Later**

"This is ridiculous." Sasuke growled as he watched Itachi dance with girl after girl, sporting the same sickening smile for the past hour.

"Oh calm down Sasuke," Sakura rolled her eyes at him as she watched Naruto scarf down the mountain of food he had brought over from the refreshments table. She knew that Lady Tsunade was going to kill her if the stupid blond ruined his clothes before the sun even set. "If you spill any of that on your clothes Naruto I swear to the gods that you will never be able to sit down normal again." The blond hesitated for a second before slowing down a bit.

"Why are you even here you idiot." Sasuke glared at Naruto.

"I don't appreciate you both teaming up on me like this." Naruto snapped at them, "I'm here because your crazy mother wanted the old lady here."

Sakura slapped the blonde behind the head, "It's Lady Tsunade, have some respect."

"Why aren't you out there dancing?" Sasuke asked Sakura, "I'm assuming you're not married."

Sakura glared at him, "Oh you noticed."

"I'm not surprised, no one has the courage to get tied down to someone with your-"

"Are you trying to start a fight Sasuke?" Sakura interrupted him, "Are you jealous that Itachi is having all the girls pay attention to him or rather," She crossed her arms over her chest, a knowing grin spreading across her lips, "you're jealous that you're gonna have to share your big brothers atten-"

Sasuke stepped forward and covered her mouth with his hand, glaring down at her in a way that would've sent weaker men running, but she was not a weaker man. She was Sakura Haruno, the esteemed student of the greatest healer in the world. Instead she met his gaze, amusement shining in her green eyes.

"Sasuke!" The three friends flinched at the scolding tone Queen Mikoto's voice had. "That is no way to treat a lady."

Sasuke let go of Sakura refusing to look at his mother as he tried to hide a pout, "Sakura is hardly a lady."

Sakura jabbed the arrogant prince in the side at the comment. "No wonder you don't have any female suitors." Sakura and Naruto failed to hide their snickers. "Sakura why are you not engaging in the activities?"

Schooling her expression Sakura met the queen's gaze head on. "I do not think the council will approve of one such as myself for the crowned princes bride so I-"

"That's nonsense." Mikoto interrupted her, "Give me a moment." With that the queen disappeared into the crowds leaving behind the three confused friends.

"What does she mean…" Sakura and Sasuke quickly put together what the queen might've left to do and both of them went pale. "Oh no."

Naruto looked at the two of them confused, "What is it?"

Sakura turned panicked green eyes at the taller Uchiha, "Do something."

"This is your fault!" Sasuke snapped at her, "Why did you come if you knew this was going to happen!"

"I didn't know this was going to happen Sasuke. I did not come here with the intention of catching your brothers eyes so I could marry him and be your sister in law!"

"Then why did you come!"

"I came to make sure Naruto didn't make a mess of himself!"

"Naruto why do you have to be such an idiot!" Sasuke snapped at him.

"Why can't you just act like a normal prince for once in your life!" Sakura grumbled, her eyes looking over the blond's rumpled form.

"Why is this suddenly my fault!" Naruto asked, though the sauce on his face didn't help his case.

"He's going to come over here and ask you to dance Sakura." Sasuke whispered, leaning closer to his pink haired friend. "My brother likes women who are the opposite of you, so just be yourself and I'm sure he'll lose interest."

Sakura felt her eye twitch, Sasuke definitely had a way with words and she would get him back for this later.

"He's coming…" Naruto warned just a second before the crowned prince arrived before Sasuke and his two friends.

"Sasuke." Itachi offered his younger brother a small smile before turning his eyes to Sakura. "It has been a while Sakura."

"Likewise." She smiled back.

"Would you like to accompany me for a dance." He asked, gracefully holding out a hand.

Sasuke nudged her a bit as he moved to sit next to Naruto and she knew he wanted her to start now. Gathering her courage she offered him a pleasant, but obviously fake smile. "I would like to say no but since you've already done the motion and your mother specifically asked you to dance with me I don't think I have a choice."

Itachi watched her with a raised brow before a similar smile spread across his lips, "Then we shouldn't disappoint."

"Sakura can't dance for shit brother, take it from me." Sasuke spoke up, "Protect yourself."

Sakura glared back at the younger Uchiha as she placed her hand in Itachi's.

"I'm sure I can lead her better than you little brother." Itachi didn't bother looking at his brother's expression as he brought Sakura to the dance floor.

Sakura was nervous, she knew her palms were sweaty and hoped that Itachi wouldn't notice, or maybe if he did he would decide he didn't like girls with sweaty hands. That would be great, right?

"It's been four years since you and Naruto were last in the Uchiha lands if I recall correctly." Itachi said, "I have heard of your achievements from my brother."

"Lady Tsunade is a great teacher when she is motivated." Sakura smiled, "With Naruto almost ready to take over she wanted to train me so that she could step down as both the healer and ruler at the same time."

"You have come far in four years and I believe with continuing training you might even surpass your master, if the rumors are to be believed." He watched with interest as color blossomed on her cheeks.

"Well people might exaggerate." She laughed nervously, not used to being praised by someone as powerful as the crowned prince.

"What do you enjoy doing during your free time Sakura?" He asked as the tempo of the song mellowed out a bit more.

"Ah, Naruto and I spare often to keep up with our training and we go hunting sometimes. I'm also studying ways to make new medicine and new surgical procedures." She hoped that sounded boring enough, though he definitely didn't give anything away thats for sure.

"Interesting." Again it was difficult for Sakura to figure out if he actually found it interesting or if he was just being polite. She was used to reading between the lines for Sasuke, but his brother was a completely different person.

"Recently we discovered a new kind of herb in the mountains to the south and they seem to add a high regeneration rate to…" She continued describing to him the benefits of a plant they had come across during one of their missions for the remainder of the song while he quietly listened. She had a feeling he didn't understand or care for a word of what she was saying but he kept a pleasant, tight lipped smile on his face the entire time.

When the song finally ended he escorted her back to where he had got her before drifting back into the crowd. No doubt to dance with his countless other suitors.

"Well how did it go?" Sasuke asked once Sakura had settled down next to him.

"I talked about the restorative properties of the-"

"Good." The Uchiha slumped in relief, "That kind of talk could bring anyone out of the mood."

"You're really trying to start a fight aren't you Sasuke." Sakura growled.

* * *

"What did you think?" Mikoto asked as her eldest son reached her side.

"You are never wrong mother." He said, before bowing his head in greeting to the smirking slug princess. "Sakura is definitely worth noting."

"Damn right." Tsunade said as she shot back another glass of the Uchiha's finest Fire Whisky.

* * *

_I know what you're thinking, another story without even finishing the old ones...well isn't that what this website is for?_


	2. Chapter 2

"Sakura you will not be returning with us to the Leaf."

Sakura avoided choking on her breakfast and gave her teacher a confused look, "Wh-what?"

"The King and Queen wish for you to remain here and court the crowned prince."

Naruto did not avoid choking on his breakfast, and began to cough loudly as Sakura stared in bewilderment. Did she hear that correctly, at this point she wasn't sure.

"But-"

It seemed Tsunade didn't have any patience today, a byproduct of all the drinking she did at the party last night. "Are you courting anyone?"

"No but-"

"Are you sweet on someone?"

"No."

"Hey lady Tsu-" Naruto was silenced by a glare from the older woman.

"Then why are you against it?"

"He's Sasuke's brother, I don't know anything about him." She left out the part of him frightening her a little, not that he had done anything to her personally, but his reputation was murky if anything.

"You are not being forced to take your vows Sakura. You will remain here and learn more about him and then make your decision."

"How long am I to remain here?"

"A year."

"What am I supposed to do here for a year?"

"You will have work, the Uchiha Medicinal gardens are in need of some upkeep and their healers could probably learn a thing or two from you, plus they're in dire need of antidotes for the most common of poisons." Tsunade replied, "You will of course be spending time with the prince when he asks, but you won't be alone. There are a few other girls that were chosen to stay here so you are not expected to spend all your time with him. Plus Sasuke is here so you won't be completely alone."

Sakura chewed her bottom lip as she thought this over, there were so many things that she couldn't wrap her mind around. "Lets say that I stay and he chooses me to marry, do I have to marry him?"

Tsunade's brow furrowed, "I wouldn't force you to marry anyone you didn't want Sakura,"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto agreed, but he was ignored by the older woman.

"but if you are chosen to marry Itachi, I don't see a reason to refuse. He is intelligent and strong not to mention handsome. You probably won't find a better man than him anytime soon. But I digress. If you find that you don't like him after the year is over then you are welcome to come home and I will deal with any fallout if you reject his hand."

"You seem so sure that she's gonna get proposed too grandma." Naruto stated, sending the older woman a suspicious glare.

"Who wouldn't want to be with her? She's smart and pretty, a little flat in the chest but her behind ma-"

"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura snapped, her face a bright red.

She turned to see Naruto staring at her, but not at her face. She threw a grape at his face.

"Knock it off pervert." She growled at him.

A few minutes later a very shocked looking Sasuke walked through the doors. He was supposed to be having breakfast with his family, but judging by his expression he just found out about her extended stay.

Before he even reached the table he was glaring at her as if she had enchanted his precious brother like some sort of witch.

"Don't you dare start Sasuke." She said to him, rubbing her temples at the incoming headache.

"Don't you dare, don't you dare me!" He hissed, taking a seat beside them. "How could you do this?"

"This is a very unbecoming response from a prince Sasuke. You should be congratulating Sakura on this honor." Lady Tsunade said, staring at the second prince calmly.

"Why are you so bothered by this Sasuke?" Naruto asked, "Do you have a crush on Sakura or something?"

"Don't be an idiot Naruto why would I like-" Sasuke was a smart boy so the moment he saw the raised pink brow he cut himself off. "What I meant to say, Sakura. Is that you're like a sister to me and Itachi is my brother. If you marry him it's like my sister is marrying her brother and that is disgusting."

"Even your compliments sound insulting." Sakura sighed, "Look it's only for a year, I don't have any intentions of seducing your brother for his throne so we're good. I'll do my work here and help your healers and talk to him whenever he wants but after the year ends I'm going home."

"Famous last words Sakura." Tsunade chuckled. "Good luck."

* * *

_With finals done with, I'll have more time to focus on my unfinished stories. Thank you to everyone who followed the story after only the first chapter. Look forward to more!_

_Enjoy and Review~_


	3. Chapter 3

Outside of her, Sakura had noticed that there were three other ladies that were in the running to be the future crowned princess of the Uchiha Kingdom. Lady Satsuki, a distant cousin of the royal family. Lady Mitzuki, whose father had married into nobility but ran a large merchant business on his own. Finally Lady Hana, daughter of one of the army generals. They all were all well versed in court decorum and tactics. They knew how to play the game and how to win.

Sakura was going to keep out of their way at all costs. Compared to them she was born a minor noble and regardless of her current position as apprentice to the Queen of Konoha, she was nothing. She knew this and those girls knew it and they would use every thing in their power to remind her of that and she would rather avoid it.

About a week after Lady Tsunade and Naruto had left she received a letter from the crown prince Itachi himself. Requesting her presence for some afternoon tea and snacks.

Sasuke had joined her for breakfast when the note arrived and the glare on that boys face.

"I'm not going to steal your brothers innocence over tea Sasuke." Sakura rolled her eyes at him as she put the paper back on the table and continued with her eggs.

"It's so annoying, my big brother shouldn't have to make time for a bunch of girls when he's busy taking care of his duties." Sasuke grumbled, stabbing at a grape with his fork.

Sakura felt the teasing quip at the tip of her tongue but wisely held back. She didn't feel like fighting with Sasuke about his brother complex so early in the morning.

"Want to join us?" She asked instead. "You can just happen to come across us and I'll invite you to join?"

"No, mother has conveniently asked me to do some chores for her at this time so you'll be on your own."

"Conveniently huh."

* * *

Sakura took a sip of her tea and stared across the table at Itachi. He was dressed in the finery expected of a future king, but for some reason Sakura felt that it didn't really match him well.

They had chatted about common things, the weather, the flowers, Sasuke. It felt extremely forced and she wanted to be away from here and be surrounded by the smell of herbs and bitter medicines.

They had fallen into a comfortable silence as they each sipped their tea, and Sakura wanted this to be over soon, but she wasn't sure if ending things early would be rude of her or not.

"I was surprised you stayed behind."

Looking up from her tea she found him staring at her with his dark eyes.

"Lady Tsunade requested I remained behind and aided the Uchiha with antidote preparation."

He nodded, "Is it going well?"

"We have a few missing herbs but I've requested the seedling and they should be here any day now. Though I haven't been able to look over the entirety of the Uchiha herb house."

"I remember hearing that it wasn't until a decade ago with lady Tsunade's acquisition of the throne that Konoha began procuring all sorts of medical herbs and instruments."

"The population did rise and to deal with the spread of and treatment of disease, my master made sure we were ahead of the threat, rather than reacting to it." Sakura responded proudly. She was only twelve when Lady Tsunade recognized her talent and agreed to be her teacher. A lot had changed since then.

He offered her a small smile before getting to his feet and offering her his arm. "Join me, my mother has created a new path through the garden and I have yet to see it."

"Of course." Sakura quickly got to her feet and took his arm, allowing him to lead her along the path.

The queen had done a great job with picking out flowers that complimented the landscape. Though some of the flowers along the path were poisonous, not deadly, but irritating ones.

"Unless you enjoy skin rashes, stay away from the leaves of the orange blossoms." She chuckled as they approached.

"Ah yes." He nodded, "Some of us had to learn the hard way."

"Did you ever?"

He shook his head, "No, but Sasuke once picked these flowers for our mother and couldn't close his hands for a week. Mother said one should learn by doing."

Sakura could just imagine baby Sasuke with boils on his palms and couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "Of course he would."

Smiling at her, he pulled her towards a small pond. "This over here is where Sasuke first realized he didn't know how to swim and cried for a few minutes before realizing he could just stand up."

This time Sakura couldn't help herself and within seconds she was doubled over laughing, her hand on Itachi's arm, clutching it as a lifeline as it became hard to breath.

* * *

When she got back to her room Sasuke was lounging on her bed reading one of her books.

She was briefly annoyed at his appearance in her room, but she remembered Itachi's stories and couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him.

"Have you gone mad or something?" He snapped at her from across the room.

After she calmed down, she moved towards him and placed her hands on her hips. "You know it's not proper for you to be waiting for me in my room while your brother and I are courting."

He looked up from the book and rolled his eyes at her, "Please don't say such disgusting words. No one is courting anyone."

"What will become of my reputation. Courting the crowned prince while meeting with the second prince in her bedroom. Think of the scandal Sasuke!" She teased as she laid down across from him. Relishing in the feeling of her muscles relaxing against the soft but firm mattress.

"Please, everyone knows I go-" She blinked at him as he stopped speaking, probably thinking better of it. "How did it go?"

"We had tea, talked about the weather, and you mostly."

She watched as his eyes brightened and he crawled across the bed towards her. "What did he say about me?"

Sakura wanted to tease him, but she knew how much Sasuke loved his brother. He wanted nothing more than his brothers approval and she wasn't going to be so cruel as to make fun of him for it.

"Nothing bad of course. I'm not sure which brother loves the other more at this point. You both like talking about each other."

She watched as his chest puff out, it was adorable. "Well of course, he is the greatest crowned prince of our generation."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura turned over so her back was facing Sasuke. "I was serious about the entering my room thing. I don't need the other girls seeing you coming and going and spreading rumors that I'm seducing both brothers."

He scoffed, "As if you could seduce me."

"Don't let anyone see you leave or enter next time okay."

"Fine."

"Now get out, I want to nap."

* * *

The following week, Sakura received another letter asking her for tea. Like hell she was going to sit through another awkward, lets talk about the weather tea session. She had things to do rather than have weekly tea with someone she didn't even want to marry.

She wrote down a reply on the letter and sent it back.

_I apologize, but I am combining mixtures today. You are welcome to join me._

Maybe he would take the hint and leave her alone, rather than join her for some obligatory date.

Sasuke even said, she wasn't Itachi's type and the fastest way to show him that was to be herself to the max.

* * *

**_Thank you for your kind words, hope you enjoyed!_**


	4. Chapter 4

After a long day of grinding and cutting up basic ingredients for balms an mixtures, Sakura wanted nothing more than to eat some dinner and go to bed. Looking down at her green stained hands she couldn't help but smile. Maybe a bath too.

Getting off of her stool, Sakura took a second to stretch out her back before clearing the table. She put any leftovers greens in some jars and took a few minutes to label and organize them to the system she used back home. She was surprised that the healers here didn't have any dry ingredients on hand.

They were very reactive, rather than proactive and after having a long discussion with the royal doctor and gardener, they agreed to store ingredients that didn't need to be used fresh. It was one step in the right direction.

Satisfied with the row of labeled and organized jars, Sakura grabbed the one labeled lavender. Adding some of these to her bath would help her relax after a full day of work. Plus she wasn't going to let the luxurious bathtub in her room to go unused during her stay here.

As she turned, she felt a presence behind her and instinctively she threw her fist behind her, twisting her body to get a look at the intruder. A hand wrapped around her wrist stopping her from making impact.

Wide eyed and breathless, Sakura came face to face with the crowned prince himself, Itachi.

"Your majesty!" How did she not hear his enter, or even get this close to her. "Apologies, I didn't realize it was you."

A small smile on his lips he spoke, "Would you have reacted any differently you knew it was me?"

"Well I probably would've not tried to assault your person." Letting out a breathless laugh, Sakura gently tugged her captive arm.

He released her immediately and took a step back. "I came to apologize for missing our appointment."

Appointment? It took Sakura a second to realize he meant their weekly courting sessions. She was so wrapped up in her work that she didn't even notice. It wasn't like she missed his company, he should probably ignore her more for the rest of year then she could go home.

"That's no problem, I was pretty busy today and I doubt there was any time to have any sort of meaningful connection." She looked him over and found that compared to last week, his clothes were more muted, though still made of expensive materials.

His long hair that was usually kept in a low ponytail was freely flowing over his shoulders and down his back. Itachi was always pale, but the dark circles under his eyes were standing out much more than usual.

"Stressful day?" Sakura asked.

"It has been challenging of late." He offered her a tired smile and held out his arm, "Allow me to at least escort you back to your room."

Sakura held up her stained hands, "Wouldn't want to ruin your clothes, plus I've already committed a crime today by assaulting royalty."

"Attempted assault my lady."

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at his words. "Fine, fine, but I don't think the courts would care to make the distinction."

"Nevertheless," He held out his arm again and this time Sakura found herself unable to say no. If he was going to insist then fine, let his fine silks get grass rubbings on it.

"Are you having any difficulty sleeping at night?" She asked as they walked.

"Getting to sleep is the problem, but once I'm asleep I am fine."

"What do you usually do before bed?"

"I didn't think I was walking with my doctor." He teased, his dark eyes watching her.

"It's a habit, Lady Tsunade and Naruto don't know their limits sometimes."

"The Konoha royals seem like a handful."

"Don't get me started, but I also know a distraction when I hear it. Naruto is the prince of distractions. So, what do you do before bed?" She smirked up at him, triumph shining brightly in her eyes.

Itachi blinked at her for a second, a soft laugh escaping his lips. "How insightful, but alright, I'll consult you then."

"Please, I may be young but my teacher taught me well."

He nodded, "I read reports after dinner until it's time for bed."

"Do you give yourself any time to relax before bed?"

"Reading is hardly a taxing activity."

"Your brain plays a large part of you falling asleep. If you don't give it chance to be relax of course you won't fall asleep easily."

"Then what do you suggest I do?"

"Maybe read a book that doesn't have to do with work, or take a bath or stargaze. There are a lot of things you can do that don't require thinking." Sakura wondered if the royals of this kingdom were all like this.

Back home Naruto and Tsunade counted down the seconds to stop working and spent the rest of the evening doing useless things, but when she first met Sasuke he seemed to never stop working. He never stopped to relax before bed and she often heard him moving around the castle when everyone should be asleep.

It was around that time that she and Naruto decided to make Sasuke relax with them. They would play games, or talk or watch the stars from the tallest tree. Maybe it was an Uchiha thing, they were all so serious.

When they reached her door she turned to thank him but he cut her off.

"I will take your advice Sakura, and try to calm my mind before bed."

"That's good, wait," Sakura took half of the lavender out of the jar and held out the jar towards him. "If you want to make up for missing our appointment," not that she cared, but if she could get him to promise then whatever worked. The Uchiha were very good at keeping their word. "Take a bath with these, it'll help you relax."

It took him a second too long to respond, making her stare up at him questionably, but he eventually did reach out for the glass jar, his fingers were warm as they brushed against her's, as he took hold of it. "If that is your wish."

Sakura smiled at his acceptance and made the mistake of looking at his face. His eyes were intense as he stared at her and after a few seconds she started to feel self conscious.

"W-Well goodnight your highness." She turned open her door but froze when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Please Sakura, call me Itachi." His fingers gently squeezed her shoulder before he let go and she heard him walk away.

As his footsteps faded away, Sakura looked over her shoulder to see him disappear around the corner. Releasing the breath she didn't realize she was holding her muscles relaxed.

That was-

Before she could react, her bedroom door opened and a pale hand pulled her inside.

"Sasuke Uchiha what are you doing!" She hissed at the prince once the door was closed behind her.

"What am I doing? What are you doing?" He stalked towards her, a fire burning in his eyes and she instinctively pressed her back against the door. "Why is my brother walking you back to your room so late at night?" His eyes looked her up and down and she wanted to hit him. "Why are your clothes so rumpled, no." She watched half in annoyance, and half in fascination as his brain seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, or rather, assumption. "You guys didn't-" Sakura watched as his cheeks turned red and she wanted nothing more than to punch him, but there was a part of her that wanted to hear him say it. "_-__do it_."

Sakura just stared up at his blushing face and took a deep breath to calm herself.

She was going to be executed for high treason and probably start a war between Konoha and Uchiha, but she didn't care. She was going to kill Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sasuke."

"How could you do it Sakura, I thought we had a understanding, but brother wouldn't just sleep with anyone. Did you seduce him? Or give him something that made him-"

"Sasuke Uchiha if you don't stop talking right now I will kill you."

"Sakura-"

She lunged at him.

* * *

The following morning there was a knock on her door...

Sakura stared at the growing piles of silks, flowers and jewelry that the servants were bringing into her room. Arms crossed she glared at Sasuke's attempts to make peace as if the gifts were the stupid prince himself.

Sasuke was very smart, and in her eyes he had the potential to be one of the very best tactical minds on the battlefield, but outside of that he was a mess. He has no tact or grace when dealing with the opposite sex. She couldn't even count the number of times some noblewoman had flirted with him and he either shut down out of embarrassment or thought they were being too forward and made them cry by being cold or cruel.

He didn't know how to apologize either. He would always try to make up for his transgressions by throwing money at you until you were drowning in it.

To be completely honest, she wasn't even mad about last night anymore, but Sasuke had created more problems without realizing it.

"That's all my lady." Sasuke's assistant bowed as he and the army of maids that had delivered her gifts, left.

Swallowing Sakura looked at the piles of gifts and at the now closed door. This display of wealth would not go unnoticed by the other residence of the palace. Rumors will spread that Sakura of Konoha received gifts from the Uchiha prince. Most people will forget about Sasuke, since she was here as a possible marriage candidate for Itachi. They would think Itachi was the one to gift her all these things.

Unlike in Konoha where if she sent the gifts back it wouldn't bother anyone, here, it would be a scandal. Word would get around that a low-blooded girl had rejected the crown prince's generosity and she would become the main focus of gossip everywhere. If she kept the gifts then people will start to think she accepts the prince's favor.

Either way, Sasuke made things worse.

* * *

_thank you everyone for your encouragement and kind words! _


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura took a sip of her tea, keeping her eyes cool and focused on the fidgeting Uchiha before her.

"I admit that perhaps, I acted to rashly." He scratched the back of his head, his dark eyes, so familiar to his brothers, refusing to make eye contact with her. "I uhh, apologize."

Sakura had expected his apology, he probably heard the rumors over the past two days that Itachi had fallen for her and was going to choose her to be his queen. She had heard the gardeners talking amongst themselves as she made her way to the greenhouse.

"Come on Sakura, talk to me."

As fun as it was torturing Sasuke, now was not the time. They needed to take control of this situation.

"Everyone thinks that Itachi sending me these gifts means he wants to marry me." She said.

"I know, maybe I should've come myself."

"That wouldn't have helped Sasuke."

"Then we can start a new rumor!"

Finally he said something smart. Leaning forward she asked,"Okay fine, but how."

"We need one of the other girls to do something, and as much as I don't want to, we need my brother to be a part of it." She watched as Sasuke closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he began to think. "What do we know about them so far?"

"To be completely honest I haven't had time to see any of the others." She admitted.

"Then maybe we should do some research on our targets before we decide on our plan. Mother has tea with the other girls every now and again, you should join them."

Sakura had avoided those invitations for a reason. She didn't have a lot of patience for the game noble's played and to avoid making a scene she kept herself away from them. Plus these meetings were not mandatory so she didn't feel the need to attend them, but it seems like that was going to change.

"Only if you come with me."

Black and green eyes met as silence settled over the two of them.

It was Sasuke who broke the silence first.

"Sakura I don't think that's a good idea."

Raising a brow she leaned forward, "Sasuke, most of those girls know that the chance of them becoming your brothers wife is low, but if they managed to catch your eye maybe they can settle for just being a princess, versus the queen."

"Sakura-"

"If I go by myself I'll be seeing a completely different side to them compared to the kind they will show to someone whose interest they're trying to catch. If you come with me, we can observe both sides of them."

Frowning, Sasuke glared at her but she knew he wasn't going to refuse.

"Now, here's what I need you to do."

The next day Sakura had her chambermaid help her get ready for an afternoon tea. She wasn't going to go overboard, but something prettier than the plain cheongsam she wore during work. Letting her hair down and clipping in some jewels, she was ready to go.

When she arrived in the queen's personal garden, she was greeted with the amusing sight of Sasuke forcing himself to listen to Lady Kurumi. His hands were tightly gripping the fork in his hand and she wondered how the metal hadn't bend under that much tension.

"Sakura!" Looking away from her best friend, Sakura smiled and curtsied gracefully at Mikoto.

"Your highness, forgive me for arriving so late."

"Nonsense, I'm just glad you accepted one of my invitations." Mikoto motioned for her to take a seat across from Sasuke.

"I apologize, I spent my first two weeks here in the greenhouse getting used to the ways your healers work." When Sakura arrived at her seat she smiled at the other four people at the table. "I don't believe we've had a chance to speak before today, my name is Sakura Haruno."

The rest of the table greeted her as a servant helped her settle into her seat. The queen was obviously at the head of the table, with Sakura and Sasuke on either side of her.

The dark haired girl next to Sakura was none other than Lady Satsuki, a distant relative to the royal family. Though the Uchiha features were present very strongly in Satsuki, the dark hair and eyes matched with the pale porcelain skin. She was the ideal Uchiha noble. Her father was in charge of the treasury funds that came in through tax collection and from what Sakura had heard, he was really good at his job. It made sense why she was here.

Beside Satsuki sat Hana, the daughter of general Kuma, leader of the first infantry. He rose to power and rank fairly quickly, despite having to earn his title, rather than being born with it. He is said to be one of the kings more trusted advisors. His daughter, Hana, was skilled in all forms of combat thanks to her father and his rigorous training. Despite her gentle name, Hana is hotheaded and is quick to act. Her wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes made her stand out amongst the dark haired beauties of the Uchiha kingdom.

Lady Kurumi was beautiful with her blonde hair and blue eyes and flawless skin. An avid member of court life, she knows exactly how to deal with any kind of situation. Kurumi's mother is an uchiha noble, but her father is a rich merchant with many fingers in many different markets. Her family's political ties are no joke.

And then there was Sakura. She of course is the apprentice of the empress. The leader of the fire nations and greatest healer of all time. Of course, by Lady Tsunades own words, Sakura was going to overtake her teachers skills within a few years. Born to commoner parents who worked as servants for the royal family, Sakura met and befriended Naruto and through him met lady Tsunade. It wasn't easy for a commoner to get the attention of such a powerful figure, but Naruto literally pushed her into the empresses office and she had no choice but to beg the blonde woman to take her in as her apprentice.

All four of Itachi's potential marriage candidates were good choices. All of the women knew how court life was and had their own strengths. Sakura had no doubt that Queen Mikoto chose the four of them for specific reasons.

"Lady Sakura I didn't realize you were an actual candidate for the position of his highness's consort." Kurumi smiled at her, turning her attention away from Sasuke, much to his relief. "I was beginning to think you were just here to grow some plants."

"You must forgive me for missing a lot of the gatherings, I have a hard time staying idle." Sakura responded. "Plus my teacher has given me a task and I intend to complete it before I return."

"What is your task Lady Sakura?" Satsuki asked, and Sakura could see the honest curiosity in the other woman's eyes.

"Sakura is updating our medicinal stores to match the empires." Mikoto answered, "We're grateful for her presence here as a candidate and as a precious resource from the empire."

Much to her relief, the conversation turned away from her and onto more general subjects. It wasn't hard to keep up with, but Sakura could tell everyone here had their own schemes and it would be in her best interest to stay on guard.

"I heard Prince Sasuke and Lady Sakura are good friends." Satsuki said, "During the prince's time in the capital I heard you two were constant companions."

"The empress did ask me to keep an eye on Sa-Prince Sasuke and we became friends." Sakura knew there was no point in denying her connection with Sasuke. They had done too many things together as a trio to ever hide that...but maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"I didn't need anyone to keep an eye on me but Lady Tsunade insisted, Naruto, Sakura and I were trained together by the same teacher so it just worked out." Sasuke said. "Though this lady was very bad at keeping an eye on us."

"Oh, what was his highness like when he was younger?" Satsuki asked.

"He was shy-"

"Sakura!" Sasuke hissed, interrupting her, a cute flush in his cheeks.

Giggling at his discomfort, Sakura took this chance to note the reactions from the table. The wheels were already turning in their heads as they probably began to assume about her relationship with Sasuke. Sasuke was not known to keep the company of many females outside of his family, so Sakura was often assumed to be his lover.

Maybe this could work to their advantage, Sakura thought. If the other ladies believed that she and Sasuke had a thing, the rumor could spread, making her seem like less of a threat. That seems to be a good idea.

"But too proud to admit it." She continued, ignoring his unpolite glares. "It took Prince Naruto and I a while to get him to talk to us."

"I remember receiving letters from Sasuke around that time." Queen Mikoto grinned, "He was so happy to get along with you two. Every letter would be filled with details about your adventures together."

"Mother." Sasuke cleared his throat, his eyes obviously begging his mother to stop.

"I still have them, such earnest letters, Sakura you should come by and read them-"

"Anymore teasing mother and I believe my poor brother will never join you for tea again."

"Itachi!" Mikoto smiled, rising to greet her son.

Sakura and the other girls got to her feet and bowed to Itachi.

"Will you be joining us Itachi?" Mikoto asked.

"I was just passing by and I thought I should say hello." He turned his charming smile at them, "Please take your seats," Sakura and the others sat back down. "I hope your day has been pleasant so far."

"Much better now that you've graced it with your presence your highness." Kurumi smiled, and Sakura couldn't help but smile at the smooth delivery of that line.

"You flatter me Lady Kurumi." Sakura couldn't read Itachi's response, he was just so good at keeping that calm facade.

"Well don't let us keep you from your duties Itachi." Mikoto said.

Itachi nodded, his eyes catching Sakura's for a second and she could've swore his lips twitched. "If you don't mind mother, I need to speak to Sakura privately."

Sakura, who was in the process of taking a sip of her tea, froze. Her green eyes darting across the table to Sasuke who had a scowl working its way onto his face.

"Of course, take your time!" Mikoto said, maybe a bit too enthusiastically.

Sakura kicked Sasuke under the table, spending him a sign to stop his reaction before getting to her feet. "Excuse me." She could feel the glares against her back and knew they had just taken two steps backwards.

Itachi, the gentleman, held out his arm, which she took, and silently walked out of both ear and eye shot.

"What can I do for your highness?" Sakura asked once they came to a stop.

"I listened to my doctors orders and took a bath with the lavender and limited work time before bed."

Sakura couldn't help the small laugh at the words 'my doctor.' She honestly wasn't sure if he would heed her advice but it was good he did. "Have you seen positive results?"

He nodded, "Such a simple change and I sleep much more soundly throughout the night."

Sakura looked up at his face and noticed the darkness around his eyes was lighter, but not entirely gone. "I can see that, but is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"I was hoping you would prepare me some more lavender."

Brows furrowing, Sakura began to say,"Your highness you can just ask any of the servants to-" Her eyes widened as he placed one long finger against her lips, effectively shutting her up.

"Sakura." Turning her gaze to his face, she watched as his lips stretched into a smile as his finger slid down her lips and slowly down her chin. "I believed I asked you to call me Itachi."

Color bloomed in her cheeks and she found herself stuttering. "Of-Of course for-forgive me Itachi. But you can ask any of the servants to fetch you some lavender, you know they even make lavender oil specifically for baths along with perfume satchels and candles for your bedside. I'm sure someone can fetch some from the market or even make them for you."

She almost jumped back as he leaned his tall form towards her, his face coming within inches of hers. "Is it too selfish of me to want you to deliver them to me?"

What was he saying! Of course it was! Those three girls and one idiotic brother just a couple of yards away were going to skin her for Itachi's selfishness.

But...could she refuse the crowned prince?

"Is it too much trouble?" He tilted his head a bit to the side, his hair shifting with him and Sakura found herself shaking her head.

What was she DOING!

"Excellent, I'll notify my chambermaid of these deliveries." He leaned back and held out his arm. "Allow me to escort you back."

Did he just use his looks to distract her…

As they walked back to the table, Sakura peeked up at Itachi, who caught her gaze and smiled innocently back at her.

He was a very dangerous man indeed.

* * *

I didn't expect this story to get as much attention as it has, thank you so much for reading and here is a little preview of the next chapter!

_"B-But you don't even like her or know her. Itachi you can't just make a rash decision like that! Sakura has a temper and is stubborn and won't listen to anything you have to say if she puts her mind to something and-" _

_"Sasuke." The cold tone to Itachi's voice made Sasuke freeze up. "I know when you're lying to me, and unless you have a good enough reason as to why I shouldn't marry Sakura tell me now or forever hold your tongue."_

I've been out of it recently, so excuse any mistakes you may have encountered in the chapter!


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